New Animals Daily

[amnhnyc]

Behold the pocket-sized western pygmy possum! (Cercartetus concinnus). One of the world’s smallest possums, this species typically weighs just 0.5 oz (14 g)—the size of an AA battery. This dainty marsupial is a nectarivore, meaning that its diet consists primarily of plant nectar. It inhabits treetops in forests throughout parts of Australia, using its long prehensile tail like a fifth limb as it moves from branch to branch.

Photo: Donna Belder, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist

[mbari-blog]

When you realize you're on camera and casually turn to your good side 😉📸⁠

This midwater octopus, Japetella diaphana, looks more like a deep-sea squid than an octopus. Unlike other octopuses, Japetella lives exclusively in the midwater at depths of a few hundred to over 1,000 meters (about 500 to 3,000 feet). ⁠ ⁠ This charming cephalopod is found throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world's oceans. Its skin is covered with chromatophores, which are pigment-containing and light-reflecting cells that allow it to change color.

[mbari-blog]

We've got all the heart eyes for these tiny wonders 😍

Many of the animals that live in the dim waters of the ocean’s twilight zone have evolved powerful eyes that allow them to detect prey, mates, and predators in the dark. Hyperiid amphipods have developed remarkably diverse eyes, each with different functional capabilities. While these amphipods are a relatively small group of crustaceans, the diversity of their eyes rivals that of terrestrial insects. Understanding their eye structures may one day help us develop new technologies for seeing in dark environments like caves, outer space, and the deep sea.⁠

[lionofchaeronea]

We really don't know even half the wonders of the deep sea, do we?

[herpsandbirds]

Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum), SHARE A TASTY BERRY!!!, family Bombycillidae, order Passeriformes, NE United States

photograph by Zach Vaughan

[marinebioblr]

Squids are unique among cephalopods in their tendency to aggregate in shoals for purposes other than mating! Humboldt squid are the most infamous for their pack-like hunting coordination, but these Caribbean reef squid shoal likely for defensive reasons! In complex groupings of mixed age groups and sex, it's very interesting to watch as they communicate with their skin patterns and postures - often unique across different parts of their bodies facing different neighboring individuals!

[marinebioblr]

Have had a couple sightings of the red-tipped sea goddess nudibranch as of late!

[yaoiblackmold]

'They're a very elusive species': The 10-year effort to photograph the rare hyena stalking a diamond mining ghost town

Ten years in the making: The story behind the award-winning photo of an elusive brown hyena stalking Namibia's diamond ghost towns.

LOOK AT THEM THEY'RE SO CUTE 😭😭😭

[sternfleck]

Let’s stalk a diamond mining ghost town with mama

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Naryciodes Caterpillars: these caterpillars have gummy-like bodies with features that mimic the appearance of a snail; they even have appendages that resemble eyestalks, but they're actually located on the caterpillar's rump

The scientific name of this species is Naryciodes posticalis. It belongs to the Limacodidae family of moths, which are commonly known as slug moths, thanks to the gelatinous, slug-like appearance of their larvae. That name seems a little ironic in this case, because Naryciodes posticalis actually mimics a snail.

Above: Naryciodes posticalis caterpillar

The caterpillar has a bulge in the center of its body, with colorful markings that form three concentric layers. These features mimic the appearance of a snail's shell, which may help to deter predators. It also has a pair of short, stubby appendages that resemble eyestalks, but they're located at the back of the caterpillar's body.

Above: this photo shows the underside of the caterpillar's body, with its mouth slightly visible on the right

This species is found only in Japan.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't find any other information about these strange little creatures, and I get the sense that the entire genus is poorly studied.

Above: close-up of the caterpillar's head

Sources & More Info:

iNaturalist: Naryciodes posticalis

Zootaxa: A New Species of Naryciodes from Korea

Keishu's Insect Encyclopedia: Broad-Leaved Moth

[bogleech]

WHAT

[thetursithan]

Even anteaters have fun...

[stormneedle]

Zookeepers have the broadest range of jobs.

[newanimalsdaily]

Peacock moth

Automeris io, the Io moth (EYE-oh) or peacock moth, is a colorful North American moth in the family Saturniidae. The Io moth is also a member of the subfamily Hemileucinae. The name Io comes from Greek mythology in which Io was a mortal lover of Zeus. The Io moth ranges from the southeast corner of Manitoba and in the southern extremes of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada, and in the US it is found from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, east of those states and down to the southern end of Florida.

[herpsandbirds]

Sly Crayfish (Procambarus versutus), family Cambaridae, Okaloosa County, Florida, USA

photographs by Seth Patterson

[dduane]

And now I’m left muttering: “Why is it sly? Who did it fool? Whose wallet did it make off with? Who did it sneak up on and pinch in the middle of the night…?”

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Carriola Tussock Moths: these moths have translucent patches (i.e. hyaline windows) on their wings, and their green-tinted veins are clearly visible within

Above: Carriola witti

Moths of the genus Carriola have a very unusual appearance, as their wings are covered in translucent patches that reveal a delicate network of greenish-yellow veins. The green coloration is caused by the haemolymph (i.e. "blood") that passes through these veins.

Above: the male form of Carriola thyridophora, with a close-up of the hyaline windows and bright green veins on its wings

The males of this genus typically have brown or beige borders around their wings, while the females have pink or white borders instead. The hyaline windows also tend to be much clearer and more extensive in the females.

Above: the female form of Carriola seminsula

This article describes the adaptive benefits of wing transparency in moths:

The coevolutionary arms race between prey and predator has generated some of the most striking adaptations in the living world, including lures, mimicry and camouflage in prey. Transparency, by definition, constitutes the perfect background matching against virtually all types of backgrounds. Transparency is common in pelagic environments where there is no place to hide.

Above: genus Carriola

Carriola tussock moths can be found in many different countries throughout Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines and Malaysia. They also inhabit certain parts of China, India and Sri Lanka.

Above: Carriola seminsula

This is one of my favorite moths, tbh. I love it when moths have hyaline windows on their wings, and this genus is especially beautiful and bizarre.

Sources & More Info:

Nota Lepidopterologica: Review of the Genus Carriola with Descriptions of Four New Species

Singapore Biodiversity: Carriola ecnomoda

iNaturalist: Genus Carriola

BioRxiv: How Transparent Wing Windows Reduce Detectability in Moths

Journal of Evolutionary Biology: Transparency Improves Concealment in Cryptically Colored Moths (PDF)

Moths of Borneo: Carriola Tussock Moths

Moths of Borneo: Carriola ecnomoda

[knightofleo]

[herpsandbirds]

Common eider

[phynoma]

This needs to be immortalized because it's what made me turn on the sound. And they were right

[newanimalsdaily]

Haast's eagle

Haast's eagle (Hieraaetus moorei), sometimes known as Fuller's eagle, is an extinct species of eagle that lived in the South Island of New Zealand, commonly accepted to be the pouākai of Māori mythology. It is the largest eagle known to have existed, with an estimated weight of 10–18 kilograms (22–40 pounds), compared to the next-largest and extant harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja), at up to 9 kg (20 lb). Its massive size is explained as an evolutionary response to the size of its primary prey—the flightless moa—the largest of which could weigh 200 kg (440 lb). Haast's eagle became extinct around 1445, following the arrival of the Māori, who hunted moa to extinction, introduced the Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans), and destroyed large tracts of forest by fire.

From Wikipedia

[newanimalsdaily]

Gaboon viper

The Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica), also called the Gaboon adder, is a large and highly venomous species of viper found in the rainforests and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. It is the largest member of the genus Bitis. Like all other vipers, it is venomous, and it has the longest fangs of any venomous snake – up to 2 inches (5.1 cm) in length – and the highest venom yield of any snake. No subspecies are recognized.

Fro Wikipedia

[bird-gifs-collection-agency]

While its eyes are not as big as its mummy's, this baby tawny frogmouth is still using its beady peepers to see the best it can

[newanimalsdaily]

Superb fairywren

The superb fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) is a passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae, and is common and familiar across south-eastern Australia. It is a sedentary and territorial species, also exhibiting a high degree of sexual dimorphism; the male in breeding plumage has a striking bright blue forehead, ear coverts, mantle, and tail, with a black mask and black or dark blue throat. Non-breeding males, females and juveniles are predominantly grey-brown in colour; this gave the early impression that males were polygamous, as all dull-coloured birds were taken for females. Six subspecies groups are recognized: three larger and darker forms from Tasmania, Flinders and King Island respectively, and three smaller and paler forms from mainland Australia and Kangaroo Island.

By wikipedia